Erdős Problem #603

The problem

Let $(A_i)$ be a family of countably infinite sets such that $\lvert A_i\cap A_j\rvert \neq 2$ for all $i\neq j$. Find the smallest cardinal $C$ such that $\cup A_i$ can always be coloured with at most $C$ colours so that no $A_i$ is monochromatic.

Statement quoted from erdosproblems.com/603, maintained by Thomas Bloom. Original source: [Er87]. Current status there: solved.

AI contributions

As recorded in Terence Tao's wiki AI contributions to Erdős problems (data as of 30 Jun 2026). 🟢 full, 🟡 partial, ⚪ unverified, 🔴 incorrect.

Caveats

The wiki's classifications are provisional and are not a benchmark. Many Erdős problems have never had a thorough literature review, so a result that looks new may later turn out to be known; some problems were also stated ambiguously or incorrectly. See the problem page for the full discussion.

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